Greenpeace backs some spar plans

Environmental campaign group Greenpeace, leader of the protest that led to dumping of the Brent spar loading buoy to be aborted last year, has lent its support to 21 of 29 disposal options currently under review. Greenpeace's Chris Rose last week said the group objected in principle to only one of the proposals: a plan by dredging contractor Jan de Nul BV, Aalst, Belgium, to bury the main body of the spar in a seabed trench.

Sept. 30, 1996

2 min read

Greenpeace's Chris Rose last week said the group objected in principle to only one of the proposals: a plan by dredging contractor Jan de Nul BV, Aalst, Belgium, to bury the main body of the spar in a seabed trench.

Greenpeace said it could not support another seven suggestions because they lacked details or were likely to cause other problems. These were proposals by Wood-GMC, Aker Offshore Partner AS, AMEC Process & Energy Ltd., Brown & Root Ltd., UMOE Haugesund AS, Land & Marine Engineering Ltd., and Taylor Woodrow Civil Engineering Ltd.

Brent field operator Shell U.K. Exploration & Production recently unveiled 30 proposals from 19 contractors for disposal of Brent spar (OGJ, Aug. 19, p. 39). One proposal has since been withdrawn. The operator expects to cut this to six proposals by yearend for full development. Shell will then pick one to recommend to the U.K. government.

Rose said Shell's options show there is no engineering obstacle to bringing oil installations onshore for recycling, adding that governments should rule out all ocean dumping as an option.

Greenpeace plans to contact all contractors on Shell's list to urge them to propose onshore handling of 70 U.K. North Sea facilities expected to be decommissioned the next 10 years.